


Lessons

by Alona



Category: A Redtail's Dream (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 15:35:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12171774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alona/pseuds/Alona
Summary: Tuomi and Little Hare don't need to learn any boring adult lessons, that's for sure.





	Lessons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TereziMakara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TereziMakara/gifts).



"And where have _you_ been?"

Tuomi froze. 

Little Hare leapt from his shoulders and darted out of Paju's line of sight. 

"I can go where I want," Tuomi said mulishly. 

"Wrong," Paju said, planting herself in his path. "Not since you nearly broke all your bones doing secret idiotic teenager things – "

"I _sprained_ my _wrist_. A _little_. And I don't owe any of you explanations. You don't understand anyway." 

With a sudden softening that was much worse than her usual short temper – like she was pretending to be a great elevated adult, a completely different species from him, instead of just his dumb big sister – Paju said, "Maybe you could tell us. Maybe you could tell mom and dad. They're _worried_." That one triumphant word was like biting down hard on a stone – so much for the elevated being thing, anyway. 

"Whatever," Tuomi muttered, pushing past her. 

Little Hare was in his room, waiting for him, as Tuomi had been counting on. "Why can't they just let me have my own life?" he moaned, slumping backwards onto his bed. Little Hare took up position on his stomach, making a funny hare version of a purr. 

"It doesn't matter," he said. "We'll do something even more fun tomorrow to make up for it." 

"Right. Do you see that wrist brace anywhere?"

"Is it bothering you again?" 

"Not really. Not a lot." Tuomi propped himself up on his elbows and tried to look down his nose at Little Hare, whose ears were laid back unhappily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Little Hare said, with a rabbity sniff. 

"Oh, come on, don't pull that on me." 

Little Hare shifted his weight around before answering. "You got hurt because of me." 

"Is that all?" Tuomi flung out an arm – as he'd sort of half remembered, the brace was wedged between his bed and the wall. He fished it out and strapped it on. "It doesn't matter, all right? I was having fun. And I don't think it was your fault, anyway," he added, a little awkwardly. He probably would've tried to prank Paju's stupid friends and fallen off that roof on his own, anyway. 

Little Hare looked slightly relieved. "Right, but I've been thinking. Humans are pretty breakable, aren't they? Puppy-Fox keeps getting lectures about that, and I overheard – I don't want to be like _him_." 

"Um, you're not," said Tuomi. "You're nothing like him. He's rude and selfish and probably smells. You're my _friend_." He sat up, gently shooing Little Hare off his stomach. "I don't think I like this conversation." He pulled his knees up to his chest. 

"I don't like it either," Little Hare said. 

They looked at each other quietly for a while, both expertly tuning out the sound of a spirited exchange going on somewhere else in the house. 

Tuomi began to feel cold. "Hey, you're not going to leave because of this, are you?"

"Do you _want_ – "

"Absolutely not! I don't completely hate my life for the first time in forever! Unless – " Tuomi came up short, breathing unsteadily. 

"No!" Little Hare clambered up onto Tuomi's knees and pressed himself to Tuomi's face. "No, I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"

"Right, fine," said Tuomi. He hadn't been about to cry, really, and he definitely wasn't going to cry _now_. Stroking Little Hare's side, he said, "And I'll be more careful from now on. It's probably my responsibility not to do stuff that'll hurt a breakable human like me, huh?"

Little Hare licked his cheek. "Look out. That sounds like the kind of boring lesson adults are always trying to teach you." 

"Ugh, no way," Tuomi groaned, laughing. "It's just to make you feel better."

"That's okay, then. Let's decide what we're going to do tomorrow." 

"Well, I've almost saved up enough money for a real kantele…"


End file.
